After a video that appears to show Cudahy’s Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez calling on gangs to intervene immigration raids circulated online, city officials including the vice mayor herself stayed mum Wednesday amid mounting criticism.
NBC Los Angeles tried to contact Vice Mayor Gonzalez as well as Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza but did not hear back.
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WATCH HEREGonzalez was elected to the Cudahy city council in 2022 as she maintains a full-time job as an administrator with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Her bio from the city website says, after teaching in the classroom, Gonzalez, who has a doctorate degree from UCLA, currently serves as a director of a pilot schools program.
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SIGN UP While the website notes that Gonzalez is ”passionate about creating healthy and safe communities,” she was heard in the video, explicitly mentioning the 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs in the social video.
“I want to know where all the Cholos are at in Los Angeles, 18th Street, Florencia,” she said in the video. “You guys tag everything up, claiming hood. And now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang, there ain’t a peep out of you.”
In the video, Gonzalez sounds as if she is trying to nudge the street gangs to make a stance against federal law enforcement while alluding immigrant agents as a gang.
“We’re out there protecting our turf protecting our people. Where are you at?” she said.
A police union for the Los Angeles Police Department quickly condemned the video, demanding Gonzalez resign from public office.
“We're particularly outraged that anybody at all, much less an elected official, would call upon gang members, particularly 18th Street and Florencia gang members, to do violence against law enforcement,” Christian Wecker with the LA Police Protective League said, alerting that comments like hers could lead to people getting hurt.
The Department of Homeland Security also took to social media to slam the “despicable” comments.
“She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious 18th street gang—to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement,” the federal agency said.
The city of Cudahy said Gonzalez' comments do not reflect those of the city or other city officials.
In a statement to NBCLA, Gonzalez' attorney wrote, "Dr. Gonzalez in no way encouraged anyone to engage in violence. Any suggestion that she advocated for violence is categorically false and without merit."
